that's 1.877.827.3467. at 800-974-6006 tty/v. [ boy ] ya, we have fios! i'm dan harris. tonight on "world news," brace for impact. terrifying words from a flight attendant all recorded on video. tonight, the passengers are calling the pilot a hero. running scared? barack obama and bill clinton campaigning in the bluest of blue states. just how much trouble are the democrats in right now? the battle begins. thousands of american troops move into a taliban stronghold, as the surge in afghanistan enters a crucial phase, and our reporter is on the front lines. fighting back. a powerful conservative pastor goes before his congregation to explain allegations that he lured young men into having sex. and, last laugh. a governor turns the table on the comedians who mocked him.

good evening. we've all heard recordings from inside the cockpit as pilots deal with danger. but rarely do we see video from inside the passenger cabin during an emergency. tonight, though, we have pictures from delta flight 4951, forced to land at new york's kennedy airport last night because the landing gear through it all, the pilot remained remarkably calm. here's linsey davis. >> reporter: inside the cabin, passengers with cell phones captured the announcement you never want to hear from a pilot. >> brace for impact. >> reporter: that was followed by this terrifying command from the flight attendant. >> heads down. stay down. >> reporter: as emergency crews arrived, the control tower gave this warning. >> rescue one. there are 64 somes on board and 3,000 pounds of fuel.

>> reporter: the pilot told the control tower -- >> heads down. >> reporter: as the jet touched tarmac. sparks flew, clearly visible but the window. emergency crews stood at the ready, but weren't necessary. >> i don't know. here. >> reporter: this man shot some of the cell phone pictures. he was still commaending the pilot today. >> he did a tremendous job. >> reporter: and they certainly got the best possible outcome. no one was hurt. this despite the fact they made the landing with only two sets of landing gear, and dan, it's supposed to have three. >> reporter: so, once the passengers were evacuated, what did they do next? >> reporter: the passengers took a shuttle bus to their final destination, the rest of the

way, white plains new york, about a 40-mile trip. >> they didn't want to get back on a plane. linsey davis, thank you. politics now, and with congressional elections just 37 days away, the democrats brought out the big guns. bill clinton hit the trail today, president obama tomorrow. where they are campaigning speaks volumes about the party's problems right now. here's john hendren. >> reporter: president clinton is campaigning today to protect an endangered species. incumbent democrats. >> nobody in the house has done more to help build back the american dream than barney frank. >> reporter: clinton is campaigning deep on home turf in the once solid blue states of connecticut and massachusetts. >> it means there is no such thing as a staff state for democrats this year. no such thing as a dark blue state. there's no such thing as a safe slam dunk election. >> reporter: even 30-year congressman barney frank. >> we can do better. >> reporter: who crushed his

last opponent 2 to 1. be democrats are on the offensive, with a war room using republicans personal history from tax records to divorce filings in harsh attack ads. >> got rich while his construction company overcharged taxpayers. he's a predator real estate speculator. he snatched up nearly 300 foreclosed homes. >> he's been sued over 400 times for fraud, discrimination and more. >> reporter: messages only likely to grow harsher as november nears. president obama suspect on the sidelines. he'll be campaigning this week in four states. and another even more popular white house resident is hitting the trail. in the coming weeks, michelle obama plans to hit five states. dan? >> john hendren, thank you. a lot to talk about here, so we want to call in our senior washington editor rick klein. rick, is it really so dire for the democrats right now that even longer serving democrats e barney frank are in trouble?

>> reporter: this is such a potent political environment, almost no democrat in the country can look in the mirror and say, i don't have anything to worry about. democrats are playing defense wherever they can. that's why you are seeing president clinton campaign throughout new england, some of the bluest states in the nation. and that's why we see president obama visit four battleground states this week. all states he carried. all states have endangered democrats. they know if they hold onto these seats, they can hold on the majority in the house and the senate.prognosis, what is the generally accepted prognosis in washington right now about how democrats will fare? >> reporter: it going to be a difficult year. but there's a little bit more of a bounce in their steps. their chances of holding onto the senate significantly improved when christine o'donnell won in the delaware senate primary. some polls, democrats are a little bit more optimistic, they looked at the gallop numbers. a month ago, voters said by a

ten-point margin they would rather see a republican, rather than a democrat in their congressional seat. those numbers are now much better for democrats. they hold a one-point age in the latest numbers. democrats know it's going to be difficult, but they like the fact that the numbers are moving. >> rick klein, thank you. one of president obama's signature politics, is surge in afghanistan, is facing a huge test tonight. thousands of american troops have launched a new offensive, hoping to drive the taliban out of a key stronghold. abc's miguel marquez filed this report by satellite phone from the combat zone. >> reporter: at least 20 insurgents have been killed in the fighting here so far. the biggest threat to soldiers, ieds, home maid bombs. but the military has a very explosive march, deep into this with this mission, u.s. forces

necessary if they're ever going to succeed here. >> in one of the homes, we found with. >> reporter: the threat of home the assault breacher vehicle explosives. it's an anti-personnel obstacle dozens of bombs. here are some they found in just way. he stepped on it. a broken wire prevented an

explosion that would have killed him. >> i figure i got really lucky and didn't step on it square. >> reporter: officials say the influence. this river valley, an insurgent super highway, where they move everything from weapons to fighters. this is the heaviest fighting we've seen in this river valley, and likely to go on for months. at the end of it, the hope, the afghan gott will be able to stand up and take charge. >> that is a key question. thank you, miguel marquez in afghanistan tonight. the pentagon confirms it copies of a new book about the it to the pentagon for clearance objections only after it was published. a new edition will be printed with some passages redacted.

these are tense and tenuous hours in president obama's push for peace in the middle east. we are about to hit a key deadline tonight, and some voices are warning of a possible new war there. simon mcgregor-wood is in jerusalem. good evening to you. >> reporter: good evening, dan. that's right, the dead the line you referred to is israel's temporary freeze on new construction in jewish settleme settlements. don't forget, those are built on land that palestinians want for their state. that's why this is such a crucial issue. the deadline has passed. that temporary freeze has now expired and there is still no sign of a compromise deal. the palestinians say no build g ing freeze, no talks. the israelis say that's unacceptable. u.s. pressure on prime minister netanyahu to extend the freeze has been intense. >> we believe the moratorium should be extended. >> reporter: but so is the pressure on palestinian president abbas not to walk he said israel had a choice

between settlements and peace. but says he will now consult with arab leaders before jewish settlements today, there school. despite the obvious symbolism here, there's a determination to start building again. minister netanyahu. and in this settlement, hundreds doing just that. counting down to the release of 2,000 balloons, the number of new homes ready for new buildings that could heard the end of this process and according to the king of jordan, that would be a disaster. >> if we fail on the 30th, expect another war by the end of the year. >> expect another -- >> war by the end of the year. and more wars that i foresee in the region over the coming years. >> reporter: dire words there from the king of jordan, dan, and some sign of that trouble already tonight. a shooting incident in the west

bank. palestinian gunmen targeting a car full of jewish settlers. a heavily pregnant woman lightly injured. dan? >> simon mcgregor-wood, thank you. and one note from chile, where a milestone has been reached in the effort to rescue the 33 miners trapped deep underground. the first of three capsules, especially built to bring the men out, has arrived now at the mine. these tubes, which as you can see, are large enough to fit a man inside, will lift the miners out one by one, in november, them. coming up here on "world news" this sunday, one of america's most powerful pastors, accused of coercing young men into having sex, facing his congregation today. the country's fastest growing drug problem, as close as your medicine chest and as close as your faucet. and, from the farmyard to your backyard. why are chicken coops the new

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>> he's an innocent man! give him the benefit of the doubt. >> reporter: when eddie long finally appears -- he's seen more like a rock star than a pastor accused of pushing sex onto teenage boys. >> i've been accused, i'm under attack. i want you to know, as i said earlier, i am not a perfect man. but this thing, i'm going to fight. >> reporter: under the advice of his lawyers, he said very little. even at the news conference he held after his first service where he took no questions. for some this was enough. >> i want the world to know, i was supporting bishop long until the day i die. >> reporter: currently, there are four lawsuits, and there's the matter of these pictures. attorneys say long sent them to one of the teenage boys. there were mothers and fathers in church that could not turn a blind eye. >> he didn't say, people, i didn't do it.

>> you think he might be guilty? >> um, yes. >> reporter: according to long, homosexuality is a manifestation of the fallen man. his critics say his crusade against gays makes him a hypocrite. in black churches, there have always been gay men and women sitting in the pews. but so mum of the ministry is bent against them, many worship in silence. >> it pushes them into kind of closeted secret identities and existences. >> reporter: bishop long says that's not him. >> i feel like david against goliath. but i got five rocks and i haven't thrown one yet. >> reporter: steve osunsami, abc news, atlanta. >> and at least 100 other pastors around the country defied the government by endorsing political candidates from the pulpit. churches risk losing their tax exempt status if they engage in political activity. they hope to provoke a court case to challenge that law.

but the government has not taken the bait. in california, the so-called octo-mom says she's broke and facing foreclosure. this weekend, she had a yard sale, including a lot of baby clothes. shoppers could also buy a photo with her for $10 and a photo with her and her octuplets for $100. and, when we come back, the epidemic of drug abuse that may start in your bathroom medicine epidemic of drug abuse that may start in your bathroom medicine cabinet. medicare by itset covert i don't want to spend my life worrying about what would happen if one of us got sick. [ male announcer ] now more than ever, ! you may be wondering: do i have the right medicare coverage? talk to the health plan experts at securehorizons to get the answers you need. [ woman ] life's too short to worry about health care. i hate to worry. [ male announcer ] in these changing times, the name on your medicare health plan may be more important t than ever. choose a company you can depend on. call now. fortunately, there's new crest pro-health clinical gum protection toothpaste.

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you may know this, but the fastest growing drug problem in america right now has nothing to do with illegal drugs. it's all about legally prescribed medicine. nearly 2 million teenagers in this country take drugs prescribed for somebody else. so, this weekend, the government launched a massive new program to get americans to clean out their medicine cabinets. here's t.j. winnick. >> reporter: america's fastest growing drug problem doesn't involve cartels or drug wars. it's as close as your medicine cabinet. >> kids are having parties now days where that's the topic of the party is prescription drugs. >> reporter: outside of seattle, nine teens wound up in the hospital this past week after antidepressants and painkillers were passed around as a school bus stop. in philadelphia last summer, an 18-year-old accidentally overdosed on painkillers. >> someone gave him additional pain medication from their own medicine cabinet that tragically ended my son's life. >> reporter: this time, for the first time, the dea made a push to empty out the medicine

cabinets, setting up 4,000 dropoff points across the country. >> take the labels off, make sure there's nothing on there. >> reporter: no questions asked. tell me what you brought down here. >> i think codeine, two things of codeine. >> reporter: laurie told you she had these bottles for 30 years. >> i just pushed them to the back of the cabinet. >> reporter: another benefit of safely getting rid of the old medication? it makes the water we use in our homes every day safer. but prescription drugs aren't just found in the medicine cabinet. public water supplies can contain trace amounts of everything if they're disposed of improperly. >> the concern is, we don't know what these chemicals do in the body over a lifetime of exposure. dollar's why the epa is working with states and companies like united water in new jersey nblg to find out more. now researchers want the pharmaceutical industry on board.

water experts say it winds up back in our drinking water. >> and t.j. is with us now. fascinating, this information about the drinking water. i had no idea. so, here's the question. what do i do if i've got extra bottles in my cabinet? what do i do with them? >> reporter: the epa says we should first seek out a local pharmacy or government agency nearby that may have a take-back program like this past weekend. that's the ideal solution. if not, they say we should actually take the leftover drugs, mix it with cat litter or old coffee grounds, take that mix sure, put it in a container and then put that in the trash. >> t.j. winnick, thank you. and on a very much lighter note right now, new york governor david paterson had, as you may know, repeatedly been the butt of jokes on "saturday night live." last night, he was out for comic revenge. cast member fred armisen was imitating the governor, who is legally blind, and that's what

paterson showed up on stage. >> there are a lot of characters, it's funny for ten minutes and then you just want it to be over. >> reporter: paterson made light of the blindness, wandering around the camera after the sketch. coming up, the newest fad in locally grown food. eggs, from chickens in your backyard. with lunesta. lunesta is thought to interact with gaba receptors associated with sleep. lunesta helps you get the restful sleep you need. lunesta has some risk of dependency. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur.

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they are the pets that keep on giving. not cats or dogs, chickens. with food budgets tight, chickens are showing up in some surprising places. here's erin hayes. >> reporter: these are city kids in the front yard, they play on

the sidewalk. but in the backyard, they run with the chickens. six chickens that provide fresh eggs every day. they're among thousands of families raising backyard chickens from portland to brooklyn. >> once you eat fresh eggs, you just can't go back. >> reporter: bill rupert craves fresh eggs. so, he built a super coop in his suburban st. louis yard. >> we have eight eggs today so far. you're doing a good job. >> reporter: the martin family lives nearby. their chickens are popular with the neighbors, especially since this summer's salmonella scare with commercial eggs. >> definitely. and i have a lot more people asking for eggs now than i ever have. >> reporter: more and more, people want to know where their food is coming from. >> i have a lot more control than just going to the grocery store and picking up a carton of eggs. >> they're free, which is really nice. and, there's an unlimited supply, so -- i'm never without. >> reporter: most cities that

allow backyard chickens do set limits, usually no more than a dozen hens. and no roosters. and not all cities allow chickens. >> i have six. >> reporter: teresa cunningham lives in missouri, where backyard chickens are technically against the law. some city leaders are trying to change that. >> a lot of people have come to us, said, i want chickens. and i'm just inclined to go -- yes, ma'am. >> reporter: a trend, maybe. coming to a backyard near you. erin hayes, abc news, st. louis. and that is going to do it for "world news" on this sunday. i'm dan harris. diane sawyer is right back here tomorrow night. she'll have that exclusive first interview with bob woodward about his new back on president obama. for all of us here at abc news, thank you for watching, and good night.